AR Artwork Statement:
"I am the courage pushing you out of your comfort zone" is a line from Alanna Bluebird's Children's book, "The Light Within", that I illustrated. This line inspired the illustration of what courage means to me as a young nehiyaw iskwew (Cree woman). When I think of Courage, I see the spirit of Bear representing Courage within the Seven Sacred Teachings. A momma bear has the courage to protect her cubs at any cost just like Indigenous mothers raising their babies today within colonial Canada.


Artist Bio:
BB Iskwew is a Cree-Métis artist from Treaty 8 territory in Northern Alberta, and has family ties in Sawridge Cree Nation and Bigstone Cree Nation. BB Iskwew symbolizes her Cree name, Baby woman, gifted from nôkum (my grandma) at birth with the intention that she'd be a healer. BB Iskwew uses art to share good medicine with the world manifesting light, healing, and hope for a future that is matriarchal again. Kayla Bellerose (BB Iskwew) graduated from the University of Calgary with a Fine Arts Degree in 2020, and chooses art as her storytelling medium and encourages young generations to keep the Indigenous storytelling and arts movement strong as it will help heal the earth.


AR Collaborators:
Tim Rolls